Rotary receptacle closure



Jan. 17, 1950 J. R. MOGRATH 2,495,M5

ROTARY RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Filed April 28, 1947 Fig. 2 Inventor James RMQGm'h Patented Jan. 17, 1950 UNITED PA ROTARYIRECEPTACLE CLOSURE James R, McGrath, Wildwood, N. J.

Application April 28, 1947; Serial No; 744,296

This inventionrelates to arOtaryclosilrebspecially .designedior use. inuconnection with collapsible metal tubes in- .which various paste-like commodities are sold Moreparticularly, the present invention relates tothat. type of closure embodying arevolving or rotary spherical closure membenactuated. by a rotatable cap. member of a; socket element in which the spherical closure member is mounted,

The primary object of the .presentlinvention is to generally simpliiyand improvecthe :detailed construction of closures of they above kind.

The exact nature of the :present invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection withv the accompanying drawing; in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a closure constructed in accordanceewith the present invention and applied to the neck of a collapsible tube, the closure member being-inopen position.

Figure '2 is a, vertical sectionalaview taken on line 2-2 of vFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on-iline 3-3 ofv Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section, taken on. line 4- 8 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is aperspective: view, otthe closure Figure dis a bottom plan viewnof the closure,

per se, showing a modification.

Figure 7 is an elevational view, partly broken away and in section, show-ingthe closure of Figure 6 applied to the neck of a collapsible tube.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 8-8of-Figure 6. 7

Referring in detail tothe drawing; the present closure includes a socket element which comprises a circular base member 5 having acent al opening 6 at the bottom and formed in thetop and about the opening 6 with a-segmentoespherical seat 1 and an arcuate rabbet"8 ;around apertion of and at the top of the seat-l. The :base member E'has'an arcuate series of rack teeth 9 on the bottom of the rabbet 8. The socket element further comprises a flanged cap member ID rotatably fitted and secured on the base member 5 and having a central opening II at the top and formed in the bottom and about the opening H with a segmento-spherical seat l2 coacting with the seat I to form a substantially spherical socket. The cap member 10 is formed in the bottom of its top wall at opposite sides of the seat l2 with diametrically opposed bear- 2iGlaims. (Cl. 22250'7) ing recesses l3.' The base member '5-i-may be formed integral with the neck iddofithe recepe tacleoncollapsible tube 15; but ass-shown; it :has a depending internally threaded'marginal flangel5' adapted tobe screwed r ona the externally threaded neck of a conventional collapsible tube; When the latter is thecase,=theuser:maylemploy theclosure on successive collapsibletubesv'in lieu of the conventional closure cap iprovidedaon the neck thereof. The cap member lflrzihas aidepending marginal flange: ls whichfits aboutithe base-member 5 and pi'eferablyextends to the bote tom of the latter. Inthe form shownin Figuresl to 5 inclusive, the=fianges-i5 and'i l's 'h'avemating internal annular grooves which receive a spring retaining ring I1for removablyssecuring-the cap member In on the base'member il 'This is a. common expedient which is well known 1 and: needs no more detailed descriptionsherein;

A rotary spherical closure-member ]fl'iissfitted. in the socket formed by'the seats !"and-12, and this closure member has a diarnetric:passageuli! therethrough. Also; the closure member I8 is provided at opposite-sides With diametrically opposed stub shafts 20 which 'projeciwatrightangles to the passage 19 and are journalled in the bearing recess it of thecap member ID; ()ne of the stub shafts2ll-has"gear--teeth 2i which may form a complete gear or-a gear -sector-and which are arranged to mesh"withthe rack teeth' 9-of base member 5; The arrangement isrsuch that the-cap member loisxheld 'by-theretainingring lfi with its topwa'lliin snugcontact-with the top of base member 5 'and with' the seats 1 and. I2 in snug contact with the external surface of the closure member I8.'. Further; rotation iof the cap member In relative to the base member 5 in reverse directionswill causetrotation ofjthet 20in the bearing recesses [3 cheap memberilmr Such rotation of .the capflmember in..reverse di-,

rections will respectively cause the passage 19 to align with the openings 6 and H as shown and to position the passage is out of alignment i with said openings 6 and H to respectively open or close the closure. As the openings 6 and H are aligned with the passage through the neck M of the receptable or collapsible tube IS, the

closure member I8 will naturally serve to either permit the contents of the receptacle to be dispensed or to close the outlet of the receptacle when dispensing of the contents of the receptacle is not-desired.

In the embodiment of Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, the flange 15 of the base member is provided at the bottom and at opposite sides with arcuate rabbets 22, and the flange or rim [6 of the cap member I0 is provided at opposite sides with inwardly projecting lugs 23 which project into the rabbets 2 2.*-.' I'he. top or horizontal walls of the rabbets 2 2- ar'e-incline'd'so as to have a camming action on the lugs 23 and thereby cause the cap member I0 to be drawn downwardly as said cap member is turned in a direction to shift the closure member I8 to closed position. This insures very snug engagement of the parts 5, I0 and 18 with each other to effectively exclude air from the receptacle 15' when closed and to prevent accidental expulsion of the contents from the receptacle at such time. As the lugs 23 retain the cap member on the base member 5, they supplant the retaining ring ll of the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive. Otherwise, both forms are similar in construction, and like parts of both forms are indicated by corresponding characters. However, it is noted that the flange I6 in the form of Figures 6 to 8 inclusive is preferably longitudinally slitted upwardly from its lower edge as indicated so that the flange or rim I6 is composed of yieldable resilient sections that may expand to permit assembly of the cap member to the base member, the lugs 23 snapping into the rabbets 22 when the parts are completely assembled.

An advantage of the present construction is that the parts 5 and I0 may be readily cast in thedesired form to provide parts which are relatively thick and durable. This is a decided advantage over prior constructions in which the cap member has been formed of thin sheet metal and made by a spinning or stamping operation. By the use of the retaining ring I! or the lugs 23 engaged in rabbets 22 at the bottom of the flange of thebase member, there is no need to provide the base member with a top flange or with top and bottom flanges as heretofore proposed. Still further, provision of the rabbet 8 with the rack teeth 9 therein provides for a construction in which a continuous annular flat face is provided at the top of the base member 5 for contact with a similar surface of the cap member I0.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

,1, A rotaryv receptacle closure comprising a socket element, said socket element including a cylindrical base member having a central opening whose wall forms a segmento-spherical seat, said base member having an arcuate rabbet in the top thereof around a portion of and at the top of said seat, said rabbet defining a bottom walland a vertical wall at the outer side of said bottom wall inwardly of the periphery of the base member, said base member having an ar- 4 cuate series of rack teeth on the bottom wall of said rabbet, and a flanged cap member rotatably fitted and secured on said base member and having a thick to portion provided with a central opening whose wall forms a segmento-spherical seat extending to the bottom of said top portion and co-acting with the first named seat to form a substantially spherical socket, said cap member being formed in the bottom of its top wall and at opposite sides of the second named seat with diametrically opposed bearing recesses and with a larger recess at the inner end of one of said bearing recesses, and a rotary spherical closure member fitted in said socket, said closure member having a diametrical passage therethrough and being provided at opposite sides with diametrically opposed stub shafts which project at right angles to said passage and are journalled in said bearing recesses, one of said stub shafts having a gear on its inner end arranged in said larger recess and meshing with said rack teeth whereby rotation of the cap member in reverse directions will cause rotation of the closure member about the axes of said stub shafts and about the axis of said passage to respectively align said passage with said openings and to position said passage out of alignment with said openings, the base member having a depending internally threaded marginal flange adapted to be screwed on the externally threaded neck of a collapsible receptacle, said cap member having a cylindrical depending marginal flange extending to the bottom of the depending flange of said base member and completely enclosing the cylindrical surface of the latter, and means coacting with the flanges of the base member and the cap member for rotatably retaining the latter on said base member.

2. The construction defined in claim 1, wherein the depending flange of the base member has an external rabbet in the lower edge thereof, the depending flange of said cap member being provided at its lower edge with an inwardly directed lug projecting into said rabbet, the top wall of said rabbet'being inclined to have a camming action on said lug for drawing the cap member and the closure member into snug engagement with each other and the base member when the cap member is rotated to move the closure member to closing position.

JAMES R. McGRATH.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,491,911 Hussar Apr. 29, 1924 1,691,811 Johnson NOV. 13, 1928 1,747,550 Klimburg Feb. 18, 1930 2,005,871 Remy June 25, 1935 2,120,510 Rhoads June 14, 1938 

